Fingerprint Requirement for Calif. Food Stamp Recipients

Friday, February 17, 2012

Ben Adler, California Capitol Network

The new bill comes from State Senator Bob Dutton - who last year served as Senate Republican Leader. Dutton said fingerprinting participants in California's food stamp program, known as CalFresh, is common-sense - and he wants to bring that requirement back.

"The attempt is to try to make sure we have a program that the resources of that program actually get to the people that most need it. So what we're trying to do is eliminate some of the fraud and waste within the program itself. The program's a good program. But there's too much abuse within it," said Dutton.

Democratic Assemblyman Felipe Fuentes authored last year's law that removed the fingerprint requirement. His office said finger imaging doesn't prevent fraud in the CalFresh program - and points to questions raised by the California state auditor and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Despite the recent CalFresh change, fingerprint requirements still apply to participants in the state's welfare program known as CalWORKs.

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